Police are searching for a suspect wanted in the attempted rape of a 73-year-old woman in the Bronx.

Investigators said the woman was walking along Reservoir Avenue toward West 195 Street in the Kingsbridge section at about 4 a.m. Tuesday when an attacker approached her from behind and pushed her to the ground.

The man placed his hand over her mouth and sexually assaulted her, police said.

During the struggle, the victim was able to push him and scream for help. The suspect fled in an unknown direction.

EMS responded to the scene and took the victim to an area hospital.

With crime generally down in the city, reports of rape and sexual assault are way up, and last month was particularly violent.

There were 181 rapes reported in May 2018, compared with 121 in May 2017, the highest number in 16 years.

The NYPD does not believe the numbers reflect an increase in predators on the streets, but rather, they claim it's an increase in reporting by victims.

Anyone with information in regards to the Bronx attempted rape is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.